Kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation during continuous reheating in low carbon microalloyed steel

A dilatometer was used to study the kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation in low carbon microalloyed steel with the initial microstructure of bainite during the continuous reheating process. The bainite-to-austenite trans- formation was observed to take place in two steps at low heating rate. The first step is the dissolution of bainite, and the second one is the remaining bainite-to-austenite transformation controlled by a dissolution process. The calculation result of the kinetics of austenite formation shows that the two steps occur by diffusion at low heating rate. However, at high heating rate the bainite-to-austenite transformation occurs in a single step, and the process is mainly dominated by shear. The growth rate of austenite reaches the maximum at about 835℃ at different heating rates and the growth rate of austenite as a function of temperature increases with the increase in heating rate.

Effect of Strain Rate on the Ferrite Grain Refinement in a Low Carbon Nb-Ti Microalloyed Steel during Low Temperature Deformation

Grain refinement is one of the effective methods to develop new generation low carbon microalloyed steels possessing excellent combination of mechanical properties. The microstructural evolution and ferrite grain refinement at the deformation temperature of 865℃, above Ar3, with different strain rates were investigated using single pass isothermal hot compression experiments for a low carbon Nb-Ti microalloyed steel. The physical processes that occurred during deformation were discussed by observing the optical microstructure and analyzing the true stress-true strain responses. At strain rates of 0.001 and 0.01s^-1, there is no evidence of work hardening behavior during hot deformation and strain-induced transformation （SIT） leads to dynamic flow softening in flow curves. Optical microscopy observation shows that ultrafine and equiaxed ferrite with grain sizes of 2μm can be obtained by applying deformation with strain rate of 0.1 s^-1 due to SIT just after deformation. Furthermore, increasing the strain rate from 0.001 to 0.1 s^-1 reduces both the grain size of the equiaxed ferrite and the amount of deformed ferrite.

Thermodynamic Research on Precipitates in Low Carbon Nb-Microalloyed Steels Produced by Compact Strip Production

Microalloying element Nb in low carbon steels produced by compact strip production （CSP） process plays an important role in inhibiting recrystallization, decreasing the transformation temperature and grain refinement.With decreasing the rolling temperature, dislocations can be pinned by carbonitrides and the strength is increased. Based on the two sublattice model, with metal atom sublattice and interstitial atom sublattice,a thermodynamic model for carbonitride was established to calculate the equilibrium between matrix and carbonitride. In the steel produced by CSP, the calculation results showed that the starting temperature of precipitation of Ti and Nb are 1340℃ and 1040℃, respectively. In the range of 890-950℃, Nb rapidly precipitated. And the maximum of the atomic fraction of Nb in carbonitride was about 0.68. The morphologies and energy spectrum of the precipitates showed that （NbTi） （CN） precipitated near the dislocations. The experiment results show that Nb rapidly precipitated when the temperature was lower than 970℃, and the atomic fraction of Nb in carbonitride was about 60%-80%. The calculation results are in agreement with the experiment data. Therefore the thermodynamic model can be a useful assistant tool in the research on the precipitates in the low carbon steels produced by CSP.

Bainite Transformation Under Continuous Cooling of Nb-Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel

Utilizing Gleeble-1500 thermomechanical simulator, the influences of hot deformation parameters on continuous cooling bainite transformation in Nb-microalloyed low carbon steel were investigated. The results indicate that bainite starting temperature decreases with raising cooling rate and increases with increasing deformation temperature. Deformation has an accelerative effect on the bainite transformation when the specimens are deformed at 950 ℃. When the deformation temperature increases, the effect of deformation on bainite starting temperature is weakened. The amount of bainite is influenced by strain, cooling rate, and deformation temperature. When the specimens are deformed below 900 ℃, equiaxed ferrites are promoted and the bainite transformation is suppressed.

Effects of Quenching Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Nb-Ti Microalloyed Steel

The low carbon Nb-Ti mieroalloyed tested steel was prepared by the process of vacuum induction furnace smelting, forging and hot rolling. The new steel aims to meet the demand of high strength, high toughness and high plasticity for building facilities. The effects of quenching process on microstructure and mechanical properties of tested steel were investigated. The results showed that prior austenite grain size, phase type and precipitation behavior of （ Nb, Ti） （ C, N） play important roles in mechanical properties of the steel. Through modified appropriately, the model of austenite grain growth during heating and holding is d^5.7778 = 5. 6478^5.7778 ＋ 7.04 × 10^22t^1.6136 exp（- 427. 15 ×10^3 /（RT））. The grain growth activation energy is Qg = 427. 15 kJ. During quenching, the microscopic structures are mainly martensite and lath bainite which contains lots of lath substructure and dislocations. The content of phases, fine and coarsening （ Nb, Ti ） （ C, N ） precipitated changes during different quenching temperatures and holding time. Finally compared with the hardness value, the best quenching process can be obtained that heating temperature and holding time are 900 ℃ and 50 mins, respectively.

Friction and wear behavior and mechanism of low carbon microalloyed steel containing Nb

Dry sliding friction and wear test of Nb containing low carbon microalloyed steel was carried out at room temperature,and the effect of Nb on the wear behavior of the steel,as welll as the mechanism was studied.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS) were employed to analyze the morphology and composition of the worn surface,and the structure evolution of the plastic deformation layer.The carbide content and type in the steel were analyzed by the electrolytic extraction device and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The experimental results demonstrate that the addition of 0.2% Nb can refine the grain and generate Nb C to improve the wear resistance of the steel.By enhancing the load and speed of wear experiment,the wear mechanism of the test steel with 0.2% Nb changes from slight oxidation wear to severe adhesion wear and oxidation wear.Compared with the load,the increase in the rotation speed exerts a greater influence on the wear of the test steel.

Advanced manufacturing technologies of large martensitic stainless steel castings with ultra low carbon and high cleanliness

The key manufacturing technologies associated with composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, casting quality and key process control for large martensitic stainless steel castings are involved in this paper. The achievements fully satisfeid the technical requirements of the large 700 MW stainless steel hydraulic turbine runner for the Three Gorges Hydropower Station, and become the major technical support for the design and manufacture of the largest 700 MW hydraulic turbine generator unit in the world developed through our own efforts. The characteristics of a new high yield to tensile strength (R p0.2/R m ) ratio and high obdurability martensitic stainless steel with ultra low carbon and high cleanliness are also described. Over the next ten years, the large martensitic stainless steel castings and advanced manufacturing technologies will see a huge demand in clean energy industry such as nuclear power, hydraulic power at home and abroad. Therefore, the new high yield o tensile strength (R p0.2/R m ) ratio and high obdurability martensitic stainless steel materials, the fast and flexible manufacturing technologies of large size castings, and new environment friendly sustainable process will face new challenges and opportunities.

Metallurgical and Corrosion Properties of Explosively Welded Ti6A14V/Low Carbon Steel Clad

Titanium alloy （Ti6Al4V） and low carbon steel （LCS） were joined by explosive welding method using different ratios of explosive. Some metallurgical properties of joined samples were investigated. Joined samples were examined by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and tensile-shearing tests. Bending, tensile, hardness and corrosion behaviour of the samples were investigated. Separation was not occurred on the joining interface after tensile-shearing and bending tests. It is seen that hardness of both plates were increased with increasing explosive. It is found that increasing explosive ratio leads to an increase in corrosion. It is also found that corrosion rate was high at the beginning of the experiment but the rate of the corrosion decreased subsequently during the experiment.

Effect of acicular ferrite on banded structures in low-carbon microalloyed steel

The effect of acicular ferrite （AF） on banded structures in low-carbon microalloyed steel with Mn segregation during both iso- thermal transformation and continuous cooling processes was studied by dilatometry and microscopic observation. With respect to the iso- thermal transformation process, the specimen isothermed at 550℃ consisted of AF in Mn-poor bands and martensite in Mn-rich bands, whereas the specimen isothermed at 450℃ exhibited two different morphologies of AF that appeared as bands. At a continuous cooling rate in the range of 4 to 50℃/s, a mixture of AF and martensite formed in both segregated bands, and the volume fraction of martensite in Mn-rich bands was always higher than that in Mn-poor bands. An increased cooling rate resulted in a decrease in the difference of martensite volume fraction between Mn-rich and Mn-poor bands and thereby leaded to less distinct microstrucmral banding. The results show that Mn segregation and cooling rate strongly affect the formation of AF-containing banded structures. The formation mechanism of microstructural banding was also discussed.

Carbon Equivalent Fundamentals in Evaluating the Weldability of Microalloy and Low Alloy Steels

Understanding the weldability of steel in relation to the use of carbon equivalent is very necessary for the welding industry. The study was poised to unearth the fundamentals of carbon equivalent as applied in evaluating the weldability of steel. The study used a two-stage design approach to address the problem of carbon equivalence weldability of steel, thus, survey and experimental. Two different steels were tested to ascertain their chemical composition which could inform carbon equivalent calculation, and the results revealed microalloy and low alloy steels respectively. In subjecting the microalloy steel to carbon equivalent analyses of the AWS and IIW coefficients;revealed a value (CEV) = 0.11 each, suggesting that this microalloy steel has excellent weldability;no preheating is required. A successful welding operation on this steel does not depend on preheating. Also, the average results of the low alloy steel revealed a value (CEV) = 0.37 and 0.32 respectively, suggesting that this type of steel has very good weldability and may require to preheat. It is recommended that welders have a general idea about the weldability of steel with regard to carbon equivalent calculation. In addition, they should understand the chemical compositions of steels they are dealing with.

EFFECTS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTO-TEMPERING AND DECOMPOSITION OF MARTENSITE FOR A LOW CARBON Si-Mn-V STEELS

The effect of rare earth metals(REM)on the characteristics of auto-tempering and decomposition of martensite for low-carbon and low-alloy steels(20SiMn2V and 20SiMn2VRE)was investigated using TEM,dilatometer and microhardness test.Results show that both ε.and θ carbides,during auto-tempering, may precipitate from the low-carbon martensite matrix at the same time in the 20SiMn2V steel,however,the precipitation of the ε-carbides can be inhibited by the REM contained in the 20SiMn2 VRE steel,resulting in change of the type of precipitated carbides and decrease of the extent of auto-tempering.The“in-situ”ob- servations show that the decomposition of martensite is also inhibited by the REM contained in the 20SiMn2 VRE steel during low temperature tempering.

Influence of Boron Additions on Mechanical Properties of Carbon Steel

This work aims at the development of carbon steel AISI 1536 through the microalloying addition of boron. Three grades of this steel with different content of boron up to 0.0055% were melted in 100 kg induction furnace. The pro- duced steels were hardened at 960°C for 30 min., followed by tempering at different temperatures and durations. All hardened steels have martensite phase as illustrated with microstructures and X-ray diffraction. Hardness of all tem- pered steel samples was measured to calculate the activation energies of carbon migration through martensite phase. The results indicated that the activation energies of carbon migration through martensite phase decreases with the in- crease of boron content due to its positive effect on the crystallinity of martensite phase. Also, the results showed that the addition of boron up to 0.0023% can improve the steel properties at the lowest temperature and tempered time.

Development of Low and Middle Carbon Martensite Spring Steel with High Strength and Toughness for Automobile

The conventional middle and high carbon spring steels have some drawbacks in properties, production and application. In order to meet the demands of rapid development of automobile, a new low and middle carbon spring steel 35Si2CrMnVB, C0.34, Sil.66, MnO.80, CrO.67, V0.13, B0.001, P0.011, S0.014 wt.%, has been developed. Comparison between the new spring steel 35Si2CrMnVB and the conventional spring steel 60Si2MnA, C0.61, Si 1.75, MnO.76, P0.021, S0.018 wt.%, shows that the new spring steel has not only high strength, good ductility, good comprehensive mechanical properties, but also low decarbonization tendency, sufficient hardenability and high elastic sag resistance, etc.. The microstructure change in quenched steel caused by the decreasing of carbon contents is detected through metallographic observation, the new low and middle carbon spring steel 35Si2CrMnVB after quenching is composed of almost lath martensite with high dislocation density and only a little martensite with twin structure. It is testified that to develop low carbon spring steel with more excellent properties for automobile is feasible.

等温温度对Ti-Mo微合金高强双相钢相变及组织性能的影响

采用热模拟实验、光学显微镜、显微硬度仪和透射电镜等研究了等温温度对Ti-Mo微合金高强双相钢相变、组织及性能的影响。结果表明:当等温温度在750~725℃时,实验钢组织主要为马氏体+少量贝氏体或铁素体,随着等温温度降低(≤700℃),铁素体含量增多,排碳行为增加了过冷奥氏体的稳定性,抑制了中低温区贝氏体相变,在随后的冷却阶段,过冷奥氏体更倾向转变为马氏体。铁素体与马氏体的显微硬度均随等温温度降低而增加,但进一步降低温度,马氏体硬度基本保持稳定(361 HV0.1);650℃时铁素体显微硬度最高(242 HV0.1),这主要是由于铁素体内部产生了大量细小的相间析出,同时析出强化作用减小了铁素体与马氏体的硬度差异,降低了双相钢强度对马氏体体积分数的依赖性,等温温度较高时,相间析出形成被抑制。

Study on Microstructure Refinement of Vanadium and Nitrogen Microalloyed Low Carbon Bainitic Steel

The effect of relaxation treatment after finish rolling on microstructure and mechanical properties has been investigated for a vanadium and nitrogen microalloyed low carbon bainitic steel.Finer lath bainite microstructure can be obtained in the plate with relaxation.The results of quantitative statistics show that in the plate without relaxation,80% of the total bainite lath bundles are in the range 5-15μm in length and 3-13μm in width,while in the plate with relaxation 80% of the total bundles are in the range 3-9μm in length and 1-7μm in width.The mechanical properties show that the plate with relaxation has higher impact energy,yield strength and hardness than the plate without relaxation,also the comprehensive performance after tempered at 650℃ is superior to the plate without relaxation.

Grain Growth of Deformation Induced Ferrite in V Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel During Controlled Cooling Process

The effect of vanadium on the DIFT (Deformation Induced Ferrite Transformation) microstructure coarsening in low carbon steel during the continuous cooling processes and isothermal processes at different temperatures were investigated using thermo-simulator.The results showed that the steel containing a small amount of vanadium had the similar velocity of grain growth with the vanadium free steel during the continuous cooling process,but a lower velocity of grain growth than that of vanadium free steel during isothermal processes at high temperatures.On the other hand,the vanadium remarkably inhibited grain growth in the steel containing a high amount of vanadium during both the continuous cooling and isothermal processes.Vanadium dissolved in matrix is indicated as an important factor on restraining grain growth through estimating the driving force of normal grain growth and the resistance of precipitation particles of vanadium on grain growth.The influencing mechanism of vanadium dissolved in matrix on the grain growth during the controlled cooling process is discussed.

Precipitates and Hydrogen Permeation Behavior in Vanadium-Bearing Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel

The precipitates and hydrogen permeation behavior were studied in the low carbon steel for enameling.During the preparation of samples,Ti containing and Ti free in vanadium-bearing microalloyed low carbon steel heating at 750℃ for 3 h,were adopted after cold-rolling.It was found that the a large number of fine VC,TiC,TiN and Ti 4 C 2 S 2 precipitates were in samples of Vanadium-bearing microalloyed low carbon steel with Ti element.And fine VC,Fe 3 C and MnS precipitates were in steels without Ti element.So the numbers of precipitates in the former is more bigger than the later.The activation energies for hydrogen diffusion in both samples are 26.5 and 23.7 kJ/mol,respectively.But at 25℃,the effective diffusion coefficients in the samples for Ti containing and Ti free in Vanadium-bearing microalloyed low carbon steel were measured as 2.71×10-6 and 4.22×10-6 cm 2 /s,respectively.No fishscaling defect occurred in the former and heavy fishscaling defect in the later.

低碳微合金钢中Nb、V、Ti碳氮化物的回溶研究

采用透射电镜和X射线光谱技术,研究了低碳微合金钢中Nb、V、Ti的碳氮化物在不同温度保温1 h后的回溶行为。结果表明,低碳微合金钢中存在尺寸明显不同的两类析出,其中颗粒尺寸较大的在80 nm以上;这种颗粒的心部是(Nb,V,Ti)(C,N)相,而颗粒边缘为(Nb,Ti)(C,N)相;颗粒尺寸较小的在20 nm以下,其类型为(Nb,Ti)(C,N)。两类析出物中Nb与Ti的原子比均随回溶温度的升高而减小。

含Nb-Ti低碳微合金钢双道次高温压缩软化行为

利用Gleeble-3500热力模拟实验机对含Nb-Ti低碳微合金钢双道次高温压缩软化行为进行了模拟研究。研究了各种变形参数对该钢软化行为的影响,建立了该钢软化行为的动力学方程。结果表明,随着道次间停留时间的延长、变形温度、变形量以及应变速率的增大,再结晶率随之增大。变形温度对奥氏体晶粒尺寸有着显著的影响,变形温度的降低将使奥氏体晶粒尺寸明显粗化;奥氏体晶粒尺寸随着道次间停留时间的延长而增大,随着变形量以及应变速率的增大而减小。

Evolution of Microalloyed Linepipe Steels With Particular Emphasis on the “Near Stoichiometry” Low Carbon,0.10 Percent Niobium “HTP” Concept

Microalloyed linepipe steels were first introduced in 1959 at strength levels around 52-60 ksi [1] [2].The steels were generally strengthened by niobium or vanadium used singly.As strengths levels increased to X-70 in the early 1970’s niobium and vanadium were used in combination and controlled rolling was introduced on a broad basis.Higher strengths decrease tolerance for impurities and non-metallic inclusions which required improved steelmaking practices.Sulfur,carbon,and nitrogen were reduced and continuous casting was increasingly applied which required improved ladle refining and deoxidation practices.Niobium-molybdenum steels were introduced by IPSCO in 1972 [3] and by Italsider in 1974 [4].Steels with higher niobium contents were also introduced in the early 1970’s but available steelmaking technologies limited the use of optimum niobium to carbon ratios,i.e.those approaching stoichiometry.Nevertheless the steels benefited from the effect of niobium in retarding austenite recrystallization at relatively high rolling temperatures and they developed attractive combinations of strength and toughness in old manufacturing facilities using simple (relaxed) rolling schedules.Fluctuations in the price of molybdenum and vanadium in the past decade and expanded application of API Grade X-80 linepipe,have led to more widespread use of niobium contents up to 0.11 percent,in combination with 0.02-0.03 percent carbon (near stoichiometry) thus maximizing the effects of solute niobium during rolling,in lowering transformation temperature,and thereby reducing reliance on other alloying,often expensive,elements.The history of these developments will be presented and applications of the concept will be summarized.